This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. The first Christians were members of households, possibly associations, and certainly cities in the first-century Graeco-Roman world before they embraced the preaching of the gospel. This new six-volume series, which gathers contributors who are specialists in the intersection of the New Testament with the Graeco- Roman world, seeks for the first time to describe systematically the challenges, difficulties, and necessary adjustments involved in being a Christian to Graeco-Roman society in the various spheres of life. In this first volume, Seek the Welfare of the City, Bruce W. Winter maps out the role of obligations of Christians as benefactors and citizens in their society. Winter's scholarly insight is enhanced through the selective use of important ancient literary and nonliterary sources. Contrary to the popular perception that early Christians withdrew from society and sought to maintain a low profile, this outstanding study explores the complexities of the positive commitments made by Christians in Gentile regions of the Roman Empire.